Peptides may not be the sexiest players in biotech, but they’re quietly pushing the boundaries of what is possible in medicine in ways that we often don’t see. Between precision cancer drugs and prophylactic vaccines, peptides are increasingly important utilities in today’s therapeutic arsenal. And it’s all powered by a technology that doesn’t get a lot of love: peptide synthesis.
I’ve been covering the biotech beat for some time now, and I can barely ignore the increasing buzz around peptides. These short chains of amino acids are biological messengers, and their specificity renders them extremely valuable to researchers in drug development. They can be designed to hit specific targets, break down safely in the body and are a relatively straightforward platform to modify. But there’s the catch: designing and getting them made at scale? Enter peptide synthesis.
Recently, I found a Roots Analysis report that sure did shed a lot of light on the matter. They have stated that the peptide synthesis market is anticipated to reach USD 2.8 billion in 2024 as well as USD 3.1 billion in 2025 and USD 5.1 billion by USD 2025 till 2035, with a CAGR of 5.2 percent throughout the forecast period. And that upward trajectory mirrors the increasing importance that peptides are taking on in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, cosmetics and even agriculture.
So, what is so special about peptide synthesis?
Let’s start with complexity. The majority of newly discovered peptide-derived drugs, particularly analogue drugs that mimic natural biological signals, are dependent on advanced techniques for synthesis, for example, solid-phase synthesis, liquid-phase synthesis, or a combination of both. These are not your ordinary chemistry class experiments. They need to be precise, fast, and scalable — especially when you’re making peptides for clinical trials or for commercial-scale production.
Then there's customization. One of the key motivators in the pharma industry when investing in peptide synthesis is flexibility that it provides for future treatments that are derived from peptides. You can design peptides to fit on one end of the receptor, or you can adjust their chemistry to make them more stable, or to increase their bioavailability. And the potential to personalize it paves the way for the type of individualized medicine that’s taking hold around the world.
And innovation can also come on the supplier side. CDMOs (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations) with a focus on peptides can now provide services across the development and manufacturing chain—from design through synthesis and purification to regulatory support. This is a game changer, especially for startups and mid-sized biotechs looking to speed R&D with out spending the money to build expensive infrastructure internally.
That’s not to say, of course, that the field is devoid of challenges. Challenges that peptides as drugs can have include short half-lives or poor oral bioavailability. But the synthesis side is evolving even here—via tweaks such as “PEGylation” or “cycling” hanging in attempts to improve pharmacokinetics.
I personally view peptide synthesis as one of those “under-the-hood” technologies that doesn’t always get the limelight but which has helped drive some of the major medical advances. If you are in drug discovery, pharma manufacturing or even biotech investing — this is an area worth watching.
The demand is growing. The science is evolving. And peptide synthesis is poised for its moment.